A new book suggests that the Hill of Tara was the capital city of the lost kindgom of Atlantis. The claim is made by geologist Ulf Erlingsson in his book 'Atlantis from a Geographer’s Perspective: Mapping the Fairy Land'.

Erlingsson says: "Just like Atlantis, Ireland is 300 miles long, 200 miles wide, and widest over the middle. They both feature a central plain that is open to the sea, but fringed by mountains. No other island on earth even comes close to this description."

Erlingsson maintains that the Atlantic Empire can be associated with the megalithic monuments of Europe and Northern Africa, and equates the Atlantean capital with Tara or Teamhar na R?, the ancient seat of the high kings of Ireland and itself a collection of historical sites, not all contemporary.

See more at:

http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/tara-atlantis.php

I've established this forum topic to discuss the idea. Traditionally, the Ireland-Atlantis connection has been through Hy Brassil, the mysterious island out in the Atlantic which is said to be visible from Ireland once every seven years.

Anyone with opinions on the Atlantis subject and its connection with Ireland is welcome to post.

There is a belief that Tara was actually the main Druidic centre or grove in Ireland and as such was a religious rather than a political centre. The notion that the Ard Ri was crowned there by the Ard Druid rather than the Ard Ri actually living there is also gaining some credibility. This would make it a bit like modern day Westminster Abbey where the coronation of English monarchs take place. I know this may not be directly related to Atlantis, however if Atlantis was Ireland then Tara would have been the major religious centre, further if Atlantis was Ireland and it was an advanced society it would make sense for Tara to be the Capital as The Druids were not just religious leaders but Scientists, Astronomers, Doctors, Lawyers etc.

Astronomers they certainly were! Here quoted is a passage about Conn the Hundred Fighter at Tara:



More at this page:
http://www.mythicalireland.com/mythology/tuathade/godsheavens.html

There are certain aspects of the theory of Ireland as Atlantis which ring true.

The original Pillars of Hercules were not at the entrance to the Mediterranean, but were actually at the northern entrance to the Irish Sea. Basically, the original Pillars of Hercules were the Giant's Causeway and the Isle of Staffa - collectively producing somewhere in the region of 70000-80000 rather unnatural-looking pillars, associated with Giants, as was Hercules associated with Titans.

Ireland is littered, as is Britain, with stone circles. In fact, for pre-historic concentric circles, the British Isles is the place to go. Plato's Royal City of Atlantis, was built in concentric circles. Indeed, in old Irish, Alt-Lan-tinde-inis would be a fair description of the layout of the Royal city. One can see how that could contract to the name Atlantis.

Ireland is in the Atlantic and would have had to have been part of the Atlantis Empire.

Ireland, as with the whole of the British Isles, has been inundated by water. Indeed, the North Sea was created during one such inundation. Ptolemy, in one of his ancient maps, refers to the waters around Scotland, as the Deucaledonius Sea - one can see the link here to the myth of Deucalion.

The Saitic Priest, Sonchis, who related the Atlantic Story to Solon, has a very similar name to the Irish Senchas, which means Storyteller or Historian. So, Sonchis, I would reckon was actually a wise man from Ireland who travelled to Sais to study and learn from others, as well as to teach. Who better to relate the Atlantic Story than someone who was from the Atlantic area and would have known something of the past of the region in some detail. Why, and how, would an Egyptian know such meticulous detail?

None of this means that Ireland is Atlantis, but it certainly offers up something to suggest searching in and around Ireland and Britain. The Royal City of Atlantis might just reside beneath the Irish Sea. There are a few theories out there suggesting a search along the Celtic Shelf, and indeed, off the coast of Britain, and one wonders with modern technology if a search would not be worthwhile.

A little comment only. It seems to me that the hypothesis presented is that Plato's fictional Atlantis was based on geography and perhaps some archaeology of Ireland and the megalithic culture. To say that Ireland WAS Atlantis could be a media simplification. Second, the royal city might be part of the fiction. To search for it around Ireland might not be a good way to spend ones money. But to investigate Dogger Bank for signs of human habitation might turn out to be fun:-)

You may be interested to know we have been contacted by the publishers of the Tara-Atlantis book with a reply by Dr. Ulf Erlingsson. He is saying that no criticism so far levelled at his theory is valid. Read the entire response on Mythical Ireland at:

http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/atlantis3.php

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I have one difficulty with the geography. I take Plato's dating seriously, as related by the Egyptian, to mean Atlantis attacked Athens and fell, close to 9000BC. The Egyptian said clearly they had 8000 years records because of being safe from inundations of which there were many, now well confirmed by Quaternary research. This means that today's Ireland was under massive ice, not all of it and not all the time. The sea was 300 ft lower then meaning the Celtic shelf was then land with another coastline now miles offshore. Not having yet read the book (I am waiting for a copy), did the author consider this oceanographic situation?

Recently a Russian, Viacheslav Koudriavtsev, came to the conclusion that the Celtic shelf was the main Atlantean center with the capital city near the Scilly Isles. He based this on the Timaeus and carefull Greek translation and geography.

I have also come accross a translation of Fomorians, "who were always there", to mean Faoi-mhara, or under the sea. Note that the Atlanteans (and Fomorians) were hated because of taxation and finally declaring war (possibly as they saw their entire Atlantic-coast civilization drown).

This oceanographic fact for me places the known megalithic sites as outposts of the main centers now under water. Outposts are usually less impressive which, considering the known sites, prompts "How much there is to learn yet about that period and at that depth worldwide" !

Solon,

I never heard that translation for Fomorians, but it sounds very interesting. I do know that Cuchulainn's home territory (now in County Louth) was known as Muirthemne, which was the magic plain covered by the sea. Perhaps a memory of some major deluvian event?

I haven't read the Atlantis book yet - am expecting a copy any week now - should be a good read.

You reckon there are more megalithic remains under the Atlantic off the west coast of Ireland?

How flatteringly naieve,

Irelands settlement history (beginning 7000 BC) giving way to celtic history, gaelic history e.t.c is more than rich enough for me already but thank you all the same Dr Erlingsson. Re Fomorians, I dont think there could have been less likely Atlantians than the Fomorians, who are considered barbaric in the mythologicl cycle.

Having listened to a presentation by the author, and read the book, I must say that I find the argumentation very stringent. Unlike the majority of treatises written on Atlantis, this is not a "scholarly" work, but a scientific work. It uses the classical scientific method, and stays clear of the "stepping stones" of connections so typical of scholarship.

However, the only thing the author proves is that Plato based the description of Atlantis on the island Ireland, and of the empires extent on the megalithic culture. He explicitly points out that Ireland has never been called Atlantis (and regarding the timing, 9,000 BC is a useless figure since Plato contradicted himself on that point).

minus the atlantis aspect, this is right up my alley. i don't much care whether atlantis existed or not, but i am interested in things like aqua-archeology and the possibility of lands and archeological sites that have been lost to the sea...

i don't know why there isn't more of an effort to find out what is on the Celtic shelf...i can't stand not knowing what was there, but there's nothing i can do about it. ah well....guess i'll just have to wait.....


--BelHound

I agree with your sentiments, Belhound. Atlantis was just a name, but a name that stood for something that once was real - a large and powerful oceanic empire that was destroyed by a deluge. Why are we so resistant to the idea that such an empire existed?

There are old legends about Ireland being covered in water. That's what Muirthemne means. Muirthemne was the plain Cuchulainn called his own. In English, it means "the plain covered by the sea".

I presume you've read Graham Hancock's "Underworld" - all about the sunken civilisation??

mythi --

no i haven't read any of Hancock's books -- though i always mean to get around to them. perhaps i'll start with that one.

barry cunliffe has a book out which i've been meaning to get my hands on about the seafaring nature of the ancient european peoples -- i'm not sure if he means the celts or the megalithic people, or somewhere inbetween, but its all very interesting when you consider the legends of lost kingdoms...jean markale also stresses the flood myth as the starting point of celtic culture in his book the celts...it all seems to add up right nicely, huh?

i have heard something like that about Muirthemne elsewhere as well, though i never knew the english translation of the place name...its all very fascinating. i'm curious as to how the figure of CuChullain might be connected to such myths. John Rhys in his Celtic Britain book suggests a connection between the name Setanta and the british celtic tribe the Sentantii....i'll have to look up what he says about that.....


--BelHound

I would like to show you guys something. www.discoveryofatlantis.com
It is very intruiging to say the least. Make sure that when you visit the site to check out the press conference (audio) as well as some video clips.

I would like to hear your thoughts based on this information.

The book is probably Facing the Ocean. It deals with the Atlantic seashore of Europe, but very, very little with Stone Age. Mostly historic times--for pretty obvious reasons, such as availability of data.

As regards the topic of Atlantis and Megalithic Ireland, there are two web sites about it: http://AtlantisInIreland.com about the theory and research, and http://www.atlantis.vg as a visitor guide--trying to promote Megalithic Ireland to foreign visitors. Seems like there's not a whole lot of guided tours available in the mainstream travel industry, with visits to those sites.